The invention relates to a feed mechanism for individual flat articles, which serves to feed articles from a stacking area to a subsequently arranged apparatus for the individual processing of the articles. The invention particularly refers to a device for feeding envelopes to a franking machine, whereby a conveying path commences in the stacking area, and at the outlet side of the stacking area there is a hold-back device for permitting the passage of only a single article on each occasion. The conveying path has at least two conveying sections and between the subsequently arranged apparatus and the feed mechanism an electrical connection is provided, which switches off the conveying system on disconnecting the subsequently arranged apparatus.
German Patent DAS No. 12 47 902 discloses a feed mechanism of this type in which conveying is intermittently interrupted by means of a cam control for adapting to the intermittent operation of the franking machine. However, the mechanical control of the franking machine to varying working cycle times occurring when franking envelopes of different length. The lack of adaptation means that franking does not always take place at the same point on different envelopes and in the case of particularly long envelopes double franking can occur, because the intermittent disconnection of the conveying system must be adapted to the smallest possible envelope.